Feed heater



Feb. 28, 1950 P. VERGOTTIS FEED HEATER 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 28, 1947 I11 uentar Panaghis P Vergoffis Feb. 28, 1950 P. P. VERGOTTIS FEED HEATER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 28, 1947 Inventor Panaghis i? Vergoffis Feb. 28, 1950 P VERGOTTls 2,499,041

FEED HEATER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 28, 1947 Inventor Panaghis P Vergarfis Patented Feb. 28, 1950 FEED HEATER lanaghis P. Vergottis, Norfolk, Va.

Application March 28, 1947, Serial No. 737,930

' In Greece April 3, 1946 (on. za -255) 1 Claim. 1

banks of tubes preferably in the funnel of a boiler.

A still further object of this invention is to provide improved support means for said banks of tubes which are expandable and contractible thereby compensating for normal expansion characteristics of the tubes.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for receiving and exhausting at a predetermined pressure, high pressure gas.

. Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described capable of extracting an optimum amount of heat from the exhaust gases normally wasted through the atmosphere.

Further objects and features of novelty shall become apparent to those skilled in the art, in following the description of thepreferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is an elevational side view of the preferred form of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a bank of tubes forming part of the present invention and showing particularly the pivotal journalling means associated therewith; v

Figure 3 is a sectional plan view of the bank of tubes disclosed in Figure 2 and taken substantially on the line 3--3 thereof and in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is an elevational end view of the bank of tubes disclosed in :Figure 2 and taken substantially on the line 4-4 thereof and in the direction 7 2 reference characters are used throughout to indicate similar elements.

This invention has been developed to provide a device for extracting a great portion of the heat contained in exhaust of flue gases. An important feature of the present invention is its association with a conventional boiler, whereby it is located in a bypass line in order that a selected amount of feed water may be preheated prior to introduction to the usual boiler inlet. In devices of this nature, expansion and contraction of the tubes thereof are normally encountered. However, it is within the purview of this invention to employ a great number of small tubes in order that a large heat transfer surface is provided. Of course, with a larger area of heat transfer surface more heat is extracted from the exhaust gases. Since the tubes are small and a great number are employed, a relatively large amount of distortion is encountered in the utility of the invention. Accordingly, an improved means for mounting the banks of tubes i provided as well as an improved thermally expandible support means.

Taking now Figure 1, there is disclosed banks of tubes l0 and 12 respectively having inlet conduit means I4 and I6 associated therewith respectively. A pipe I8 is secured to a suitable bypass valve I! mounted exteriorly of a stack or funnel and, to the inlet conduit l4. Suitable conventional pipe joints 20 are employed in this system wherever deemed necessary.

The said conduit 18' extends from a main boiler feed line H] having the usual inlet pump means normally employed in feeding a boiler. structure described above, it is obvious that the From the yided at one end of the said upper header 22 for the purpose of receiving the inlet conduit [4 thereon. A selected predetermined number of small diameter, thin walled tubes 32 extend between selected stay rods 26, joining the upper and lower headers. Baffies 34 are provided adjacent alternate stay rods 26 in the upper heador and bafiles are provided in offset relation to the first mentioned baffles in the said lower header 24. It will be seen that liquid flowing through the sleeve 30 passes through the first group of tubes 32 thence through a second group of tubes 32 within the second space defined between the bafiles 34. This fiow continues until the exit sleeve 35 is reached. Then, the now heated liquid and steam is conducted through the tie conduitv 36 to the second bank of tubes l0. After the aqueous medium circulates through the said bank of tubes Hi it is discharged through the conduit 38 which is led to a conventional boiler by being connected with the boiler feed line. A manually operable valve 39 is provided in the conduit 38 and mounted exteriorly of the stack to complete the previously mentioned bypass system.

Received on the inlet conduit I4 is a pressure receiving tank 63. It is noted that this tank is above the banks of tubes in and I2 and further, above the bypass conduit 18. This receptacle 40 is provided for the purpose of receiving high pressure air and steam for safety purposes. A further function of the said receptacle 40 is to receive water therein when the system is inoperative. To this end, a water gauge 42 is suitably secured thereto to indicate the amount of liquid within the system. This water gauge 42 is conventional in nature, being only a single tube 45 tapped on a suitable place in the receptacle.

A fitting 46 is secured to the upper portion of the said receptacle 45 for the purpose of conducting excess air therefrom. Also, a safety valve 48 is secured to said fitting. This safety valve is simply a check plate or ball biased by spring means 52 in the aperture normally encountered in fittings of the type as shown in Figure 1. Plates 54 are held in predetermined spaced relation by bolts 56 thereby holding the safety valve mechanism in assembly. The pipes 58 extend from the said'fitting 46 for passing off air and water as desired. The valve 60 as well as other valves in this particular fiuid fiow system serves the usual conventional function.

Forming an important part of the present invention is the method of mounting the banks of tubes I'D and [2 within the funnel of a boiler preferably. End plates 63 are secured to the banks of tubes l and I2 respectively and stub shafts 65 extend therefrom. These shafts are received in brackets 66 which are, in turn, mounted upon a suitable base support 68. A split bearing is formed at the upper extremity of the bracket 55, indicated by the numeral 10, for the purpos of receiving the said stub shaft 65 therein. An attachment of this nature permits pivotal movement of the banks as a whole, rotatable may be employed in the usual piston rod con-.

nection. Further pivotal links 80 extend from the opposite sides of the said pitman 14 and further from the opposite sides of the banks In and 12 respectively. Perches B2 are secured to a suitable element, preferably the walls of a funnel which expand and contract in response to stack or funnel heat changes, for the purpose of receiving terminal portions of the links therein. The other ends of the said links 80 are received on the brackets'lt mentioned above. The usual pivot pins 18"are employed in this con nection thereby permitting the said banks of tubes l0 and I2 to expand, contract or otherwise distort with the expansion of the stack and the various links as well as the banks of tubes.

In order to facilitate cleaning, a plurality of spaced apertures are provided in the lower headers 24. Drain plugs are then detachably received in said apertures.

Whilethere has been described and illustrated an embodiment of the present invention capable of performing all of the specifically mentioned objects as .well as many ancillary objects, it is apparent that various changes including omissions, additions and rearrangement of elements may be made herein without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, limitation is sought only in accordance with the scope of the following claim.

Having thus described the present invention what is claimed as novel and improved is as follows:

In a, feed water heater for use with a boiler assembly which has 'a bypass system and a stack, banks of tubes, upper and lower headers secured to each bank of tubes, means comprising baffles in said headers for directing fiow oppositely in adjacent groups of tubes in-each of said banks of tubes, means forming a passage connecting said banks of tubes, an intake conduit extending from one of said headers and forming a part of the bypass system, an air pressure tank connected with said intake conduit and a pressure responsive exhaust valve connected operatively with said tank, means for pivotally mounting said lower headers in the stack, and means for yieldingly Supporting said banks of tubes comprising links secured to the upper parts of said banks for pivotal movement and pivotally secured to the walls of said stack to prevent overstress in the banks of tubes due to expansion and contraction caused by the temperature differenees in the stack.

. PANAGHIS P. VERGOTTIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Nov. 9, 1905 

